


Hey Shizu!

by LadyAbernathyWordsmith



Series: The Uchiha Chronicles [8]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Cute, F/M, Love Confessions, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Original Character(s), Post-Canon, Romance, Uchiha poke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-01-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 09:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9228911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyAbernathyWordsmith/pseuds/LadyAbernathyWordsmith
Summary: Shizu Uchiha is an amalgamation of his parents, talkative yet secretive, romantic yet emotionally stifled and in love with someone that...probably is not the best option for everybody.But, what can you do? He's as much a Haruno as he is an Uchiha, and when Haruno's fall in love, they fall hard.//Can be read independantly//





	

"Good morning, Papa." The twins chimed together as they sat down at the table.

"Good morning, you two." Hummed their father, setting two omelettes on rice before his children. "What's on the schedule today?"

"Paperwork." Both said, before taking a large bite. 

Sasuke couldn't help but chuckle. "I mean  _after_ paperwork. I was thinking about plauging a restaurant tonight with our presence."

"Sounds good to me, can I bring Hajime-kun?" Asked Shizu, reaching for the ketchup. 

"Don't see why not." Sasuke shrugged.

Shina raised her hand. "I can't make it."

"Why?" Sasuke looked at his daughter critically.

"Don't want to."

"You're coming," He told her decisively. "I need a break and we need family time."

She made a face but didn't try to argue.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Shizu left by the time Seiji, Sayaka and a few others got down for breakfast, quickly pulling his waist-length pink hair into a high ponytail, donning his usual black slacks and red high collar shirt, the fan displayed prominently on his back thanks to his fathers sewing skills, taking his lunchbox with him as well as his backpack which was filled with his papers, as he passed his sleepy-eyed siblings, leaving with Shina by his side.

It was the quiet hour between dawn and sunlight, as the neighborhood began to wake. He and his sister stopped to get tea for themselves, and a box of pastries for their respective breakrooms.

"Hey Shizu, why do you always get way more powdered doughnuts?" Asked Shina curiously as they walked. At least one third of Shizu's two dozen were sugar-covered rings of dough and jelly doughnuts.

The mednin shrugged slightly. "They always end up going first, I figure it's better to get more of 'em."

She made a show of rolling her eyes. Why should he care about which doughnuts were popular? It just added cost to Shizu's order and inconvenienced the poor baker.

"Whatever. See you later, tell Hajime I said hi." She bade as they parted ways, her getting on a trolly cart going towards the police station.

"I will, don't forget about dinner!" He shouted after her.

"What dinner?!" She shouted back as the trolly took her away.

He shook his head, making his way towards the hospital.

The old hospital of his parents youth had become an assisted retirement home and a clinic for those in less dire situations, colds and flus and such, and a new one had been built some ways away, and was more of a walk to get there. He supposed he could've taken a trolly too, but he liked passing by the academy...

Hajime was out again today, sweeping away the dead and dried leaves from the path.

He was the only one of Hokage-sama's three children to inherit his mothers eyes, as white as snow, with two little wisker marks on either cheek and a smile that could light up the entire classroom. Hajime was a grade school teacher, and was wearing the requisite yellow shirt, tan slacks and green apron needed for teachers that weren't active shinobi. "Good morning, Shizu!" The blonde waved with that stunning smile.

"Morning, Hajime." He greeted, making the slight detour. "You're up early."

The slightly-shorter man laughed slightly. "Says the guy whose up at the same time as me."

"Surgeons never sleep, thats why we need sugar." He said, holding up ths box in example. 

"Don't eat too much sugar, or else that hair of yours is going to turn into bubblegum."

"I'll keep that in mind. Care for one? It's one less for me to eat." He offered, holding up the box.

"I think I will, thanks." He reached in, taking the first pastry his fingers made contact with. Mm, powdered jelly doughnut, his favorite. He took a bite of it, licking at his lips slightly with the first sugary bite.

"Hey, Hajime-kun...it might be total havoc, but I wanted to ask if you'd join us for dinner tonight. At a restaurant this time, so the demons will have to act like humans this time."

Hajime tried to bite back a laugh, putting the back of his hand over his mouth to cover his lips as he let out a half-restrained giggle. "Y-yeah, sure. That sounds like fun Shizu."

"Great, I'll text you the details later. Have a good day at work, Hajime-kun." Said the pinkette as he waved goodbye to the Uzumaki.

Hajime waved back, finishing his jelly doughnut in another two bites and about to go back to his sweeping.

"You're glowing again, Hajime-kun~! Did Shizu drop by? Did he finally ask you on a date?"

Hajime's ears pinkened slightly, not looking up at his superior as his mouth twitched in annoyance, starting to sweep again. "He's just my old friend from my genin team." He said sharply. "We just reconnected a few months ago, he's only being nice."

The slightly elderly and plump woman, Anko, giggled into her hand. "Keep telling yourself that, Hajime-kun!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 _'You didn't stutter, you didn't stutter~!'_ Shizu was mentally cheering, an added bounce in his step as he entered the hospital.

"Good morning, Uchiha-san." The secretary at the front desk chuckled when he came through the door. "You seem happy this morning."

"It is a lovely day, I have no surgeries scheduled, I found an extra 200 Ryo in my pocket this morning, I have my favorite food for lunch and I'm having a nice dinner with my best friend and family tonight." He hummed with a grin, offering the nurse something from his box of goodies. "I feel good about today."

"Hope your good day continues," she said taking one of the jelly doughnuts for herself.

"Same," he walked off, up three flights of stairs and towards the break room to deposit the pastries, taking one for himself as he nearly bounced his way to his office.

He finished his tea and morning pick-me-up quickly, getting down to work sorting and diagnosing the various test results he had with him. It wasn't until an hour in that he had to make his rounds.

Half of the third floor patients were his (all of whom were recovering from surgeries) and his team of nurses responsibility. He got up to pull his white coat on, and stepped out of his office to begin.

He got through the first three rather fast (a burn victim who had needed skin-grafting, a broken leg that had needed metal plates, and a mangling from mis-handling a spinning whetstone while sharpening a katana that was put back together just the day before) and was about to get to the fourth when-

"Hey! Shizu!"

The man turned to look, and saw one of the nurses approching. "Good morning Yuuma."

"Good morning, now lets go. You know the routine."

Shizu chuckled slightly, rolling his eyes good naturedly before doing just that, making his way to the near-by nurses station to sit with Yuuma behind him as the nurse undid the ponytail he had and started go pull and tug at his long hair, making a tighter braid to keep it from getting in the way. "Why do you keep it so long? Isn't this a little detrimental to your work?" He asked as he finished tying it off.

"Maybe, but it's tradition." Shizu chuckled as Yuuma finished.

"Uchiha tradition?" He asked curiously.

"Haruno." Shizu corrected. Mama had begun to grow her hair when she started to love someone, Shizu felt that it was appropriate for him to as well. He hadn't had a haircut in years...

Once he felt that Yuuma was done, he stood. "Thank you, much appreciated."

"It was no bother, Shizu." Yuuma said, stepping aside as the man left to continue his rounds.

He'd gotten through another five patients, checking blood pressures, administering medication, asking how they were feeling, such and such...when the hospital intercom went off.

**_"Doctor Uchiha Shizu is requested, floor 1 room A3. Doctor Uchiha Shizu is requested, floor 1 room A3. Code Pink."_**

"You're a busy man, Doctor." Said his current most patient.

Floor one was therapies, administration and the emergency room. Code Pink meant a violent patient that security couldn't handle (so named when Shina decked a psychotic madman that had taken down security when they were 13, subsequently destroying a wall and collapsing part of the floor in the process).

"Yeah, I have to schedule breathing most days." He hummed, setting his pen down. "I'll send in a nurse finish the report, but everything has been in acceptable range lately. I'd call get ready to leave in the next few days if I were you."

"Thank you doctor, good luck."

"Appreciated!" He said in return, quick stepping down the halls as one nurse fell into step beside him. "Have someone finish his reports and send them to my office for evaluation, I'm going down to emergency. Anything I should know?" He asked as he quickly handed his stethoscope and the patients file to the nurse.

"A homeless man, found in the back alley on a vent and brought in with burns by the police. He has some sort of anesthedic miasma jutsu he was hiding in a scroll and sent three security personal into a deep sleep. They're predicted to recover but they were only exposed for a short time." She rushed ahead and opened the door to the stairwell for the doctor.

"A3, that's the box, right? Walled off with glass, in the corner and away from the waiting room and front desk?" He asked as he quick-stepped down the steps.

"Yes, sir, but it's not air tight. If he releases any more then the entire floor will have to be evacuated." She reported as she followed.

"That won't happen. Send for Shina asap, she can deal with his burns while he's being processed for an act of terrorism. Once he's unarmed and identified and/or charged, I suspect he'll be in the mental health ward." They passed the second floor, going back towards the first.

"Will do." The nursed nodded, turning back up the stairs to have someone finish the report and to call Uchiha Shina to the scene.

He walked out of the stairwell with a purposeful stride, making a beeline for the emergency bay. He pulled out his handkerchief after passing the waiting room, where there were still injured people waiting, none the wiser to the possible threat that was just a few meters away.

"Uchiha-san! We thought of contacting the director but-" the resident doctor began as Shizu went to soak his hankie in water to better help filter the air when they had no gas masks available.

"No, you made the fight choice. Mother being here would've caused more undue panic. People know her face." He said, pausing to pull out a pair of black leather gloves. "I'm going to try and talk him down before doing anything drastic. I haven't had a breath of it so I should be able to withstand it for a moment or two longer than the security detail. Pull me out if you see any signs of collapse, got it?"

"Understood." The doctor nodded, following the young man to room A3. The medical bays next to the corner room had been emptied already, leaving the short hall almost entirely empty.

The glass on one wall was already cracked, through not broken, the curtains around the room had been pulled closed, but Shizu could see that the gurney had been pushed so it covered the door. He held the cold, damp cloth to his face, using his other hand to pry open the sliding doors and his knees to push aside the gurnery laying right buy the door, closing sliding doors behind him, and keeping his back to the door and in full view of the other doctor, while not pushing aside the curtains, keeping them between the homeless man and himself, quietly activating his sharingan, spotting the chalkra of the man in the corner.

"Hello? I'm a doctor, I'm here to help you." He announced into the room, acessing the situation while breathing shallowly. He could hear ragged breathing, but under it there was also the faintest hiss, like air escaping a tank. If it was a poisonous miasma, then this guy would have had to practice it constantly and get small doses of it to be immune like he was.

"Doctor...?" A quiet voice replied. Shizu could hear it in the closest corner, where the glass wall met the plaster one. "Doctor...Uchiha?"

"Yes, you heard the message over the intercom, right? I'm the youngest surgeon to ever be certified in Konoha." He told the man calmly. "You have a name too, right? May I have it?" 

"...Uchiha...You're an Uchiha...You have eyes just like them..."

He heard the sound of something being thrown, but he sidestepped as quietly as he could from behind the curtain, kicking the gurney towards the man and swishing back the curtains. The man was startled and shreiked as the light hit his face, and shreiked in pain when the metal bottom of the gurney hit him while he was crouched.

Shizu saw through the sharingan that he was about to reach into his coat to grab something, and took hold of his wrist before he could, pulling him up from the triangle made between the two walls and the gurney and throwing him, back first, into the center of the small room.

He grabbed onto the man's head, the heel of Shizu's palm on his forehead and activated his Mangekyo Tsukuyomi, forcing the man to look into his eyes as he flailed in pain due to his broken wrist and dislocated arm.

 _"Sleep, and dream peacefully."_ He ordered the man, whose breath slowly stilled into a calmness.

He hefted the man over his shoulder, the ER resident opening and closing the door for him, putting him on one of the near by beds. 

"The police should be here momentarily to disarm the scroll." The ER resident said, as he helped heave the man onto the gurney. "You ought to rest, Uchiha-sa-Uchiha-san?!" The man ran, grabbing Shizu's arm just as he was about to collapse.

His head lolled back, his heavy weight too much for the older doctor to hold up. Shizu heard the distant shout for assistance as he began to quickly nod off.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

He groaned slightly, feeling his shoulder being nudged. "Nooo...sleep..." He moaned, putting the pillow over his head.

"You've been sleeping for almost the entire day Shizu-kun, you have to eat at some point." A voice chuckled.

Shizu peeked out from under the pillow, seeing the cropped blonde head of his former teammate. He sighed slightly, his hand falling from the pillow and allowing Hajime to pull it off. "It's too much effort to chew, I'll put an IV drip in when I get to work." Shizu bemoaned, laying his head on his bent forearm. 

"Could I bribe you out of bed to have a good breakfast with me?" Offered the blonde with a cheeky smile. 

"Maybe you could," The pink haired man replied with a small smile. "Depends what you're offering."

"Well...I'm making your all your favorites for dinner tonight." Hajime began, leaning close to the laying man.

"Mmn...sounds good but I'm still really, _really_ lazy."

"I...also got us a new bubble bath I wanted to try." 

Shizu chuckled slightly hearing that. "I think our bath might be big enough for two..."

"And..." Hajime's smile turned devilish. "I could also give you a kiss...if you're a good boy." 

Shizu held up a finger to Hajime's face. "Counter offer:" He then shot up, pulling the blonde into a kiss and pulling him into bed, holding the slightly shorter man beneath him.  Hajime's half-indignant, half-laughing shout of 'Shizu!!' was heard as he was tossed and rolled. "What if we stayed in bed all day, ordered in cheap take out, and I never have to leave you again."

"Then why did you leave me in the first place?" Hajime asked softly, arms wrapped around Shizu's neck to keep the pinkette close. 

Any air Shizu had in his lungs was pushed out almost instantly, the warm embrace began to feel more like a choking strangle, those once-cheerful pools of ivory white turned cold and sad. He hadn't sounded accusatory, only wondering.

"Two years, Shizu." Hajime fell limp beneath him, looking up at the Uchiha. "No goodbye, not even a letter...just Shina telling me that you two were going to leave for training, you couldn't even tell me yourself. I thought we were best friends..."

"I...I was scared..." Shizu replied softly, resting his forehead on Hajime's shoulder. "I...I felt something with you, for you, and when I was near you...I couldn't understand or confront those feelings then, Hajime. I'm so sorry..."

The Uzumaki regained a touch of softness, reaching up to softly touch his cheek. Shizu clasped his hand, holding him gently. "Shizu..."

The Uchiha silenced him with a soft kiss.

"I'm sorry..." He breathed out softly. "Hajime, I'm so sorry." 

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"-rry...Haj...mmn so...rry..."

"What's he saying?" Asked Sayaka, looking up at Lady Tsunade, sitting at her brother's right hand side.

"I think he's apologizing for something." Said the blonde sanin, pulling out another blob of purified water from her godsons lungs, which was tainted with the miasma. "That's as much as we're gonna get."

"Will he be okay?" Asked Sayaka worriedly. 

"I'm certain all he needs in a few hours of rest to work out what's left. He's gonna be hungrier than an Akimichi when he wakes up, but other than a few days of drowziness there shouldn't be any lingering effects." Tsunsde declared, walking back out.

"What about the looney toon that poisoned him? Will he be punished?"

"It wasn't a lethal poison, so the sentence will probably be lighter than you think. Don't take my word for it though, I'm a doctor not a lawyer." Tsunade said. "Where are your parents anyway? Shouldn't they be here right now?"

"Mama went into surgery before it happened so she has no idea what happened, and Papa had to make a quick trip to a village a few hours away and is on his way back now." The girl supplied, following the woman to the nursing station. "So, what now?"

"I'd suggest taking him home, but I'm a bit too busy to haul him and your older sisters are a busy t- what's going on here?!" Tsunade suddenly roared when she saw the havoc. 

Naruto's second son Hajime was arguing with a nurse, and both had stopped when Tsunade arrived. "Granny!" Breathed the blonde in relief. "I-I heard Shizu-kun was involved in a terrorist attack, is he alright?!"

Sayaka couldn't help the small smile that crossed her face. "He's fine, more or less. I need help getting him home though, so he's taking up less space here. Would you mind lending a hand?"

Hajime's relief was audible, nodding slightly. "Yes, yes of course." He agreed, going to follow Sayaka back down the hall to where Shizu lay.

Tsunade shook her head slightly as the two left. One day those two 'best friends' had to sort out their damn feelings so the rest of Konoha could stop dancing on eggshells around their relationship.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Why does a doctor have to be so damn buff?!" Hajime wheezed two-thirds through the journey home. "He's like 30% muscle!"

"I think that's more 'Daddy muscle' than anything." Sayaka said with a laugh. "You know, the muscle moms and dads get from carrying their kid around for months, only he got his with us."

"Sasuke-sama should stop having kids soon so Shizu can deflate a little." Huffed Hajime, sweat sliding down his chin. "Shizu's gonna be one hell of a dad if he's that good with his siblings."

"That's always been his plan; more kids means more Uchiha." The black haired girl sighed slightly, tilting her twin-tailed head back and forth. "And that's the struggle for the girls, to keep the name or marry out."

"Kids like you shouldn't be thinking of marriage so soon," Said Hajime, shouldering his friend so here was less of a chance of him falling off. "Be a kid before you think of being clan fodder."

"Mmn...maybe, but what about you? You're like...27, right? Have you thought about marriage yet?"

Hajime scoffed. "First of all, I'm 23, second of all, no. I don't think marriage is in my future."

"Aw! Why not? I'd marry you."

"Yes, but  _I-"_ He hip bumped the girl slightly. "-wouldn't marry you. Or...any woman."

She nodded slightly in understanding. "I get it, I get it...Yeah, definitely too bad your dad isn't the Hokage or something and couldn't pass a law about gay couples marrying or anything..."

"Sayaka-chan, I am not going to exploit my fathers political position for my own gain."

"Wouldn't just be your gain." She said pointedly, saying nothing else on the matter as she opened the door to the Uchiha house for Hajime and Shizu.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I'm sorry..." Were the groggy first words of Shizu Uchiha, looking up at Hajime through dark-ringed eyes. He'd been asleep for almost five full hours, and had been having some sort of recurring nightmare, muttering nonsensical apologies the entire time.

Sayaka had to go back to school after updating both her parents and the rest of the family that Shizu was in good hands, in Hajime's hands.

"Hey Shizu..." Hajime said softly, pushing aside his sweat-soaked bangs. "And you've told me, many times." Hajime couldn't help but chuckle, helping his friend into a sitting position. "Sayaka-chan told me all your favorites, so I made you a little something to eat if you're able t-mmph?!"

Hajime's face burned red, momentarily unable to comprehend the lips pressing against his. His knees felt weak, and the gentle pressure of Shizu leaning into him made him topple backwards, though Shizu crawled forward to conpensate for the distance. Now looming above Hajime, the Uzumaki was quite able to recognize the massive size difference between him and the Uchiha. He probably had an additional 50 lbs on him in pure muscle, not to mention that Shizu was plainly the better shinobi. Hajime had been an untalented shinobi all his life, his motivation to become one weakened severely by adults massive expectations of him, due to the obvious traits he gained from his parents, most people could tell his heritage the second they saw him. He only barely made it to chunin before becoming a grade-school teacher.

"Sh...Shizu...?" Hajime asked softly when he felt the other part for breath. He looked up at his pink haired best friend, his face gone a very dark shade of pink.

"Hajime...I'm so sorry..." Shizu held his forehead to Hajime's, one hand going to the others wrist, gently moving it so he could lace their fingers together into a tight fist. "When I left with my father and Shina...I...I didn't want to tell you how I felt then..." Shizu kissed him again, and Hajime's heart thundered even harder in his chest, squeezing Shizu's hand even tighter in his.

"Shizu..." the blonde gave a shuttering breath, trying to steady himself. "Shizu, you need to get back in bed."

He, apparently, hadn't heard Hajime. "I...was a coward, and I was scared...I didn't know what I was feeling...Hajime, I...I think I'm in love with you." 

That was the tipping point. Hajime's head tilted back, face completely red, with swirls in his eyes.

Shizu pulled back, his momentary confusion giving way to absolute horror. This was when the dream reset, right? He wakes up again and apologizes and confesses and...

He pinched his cheeks, feeling the slight stab of pain. Oh god, he actually...

In his moment of panic and regret, he hadn't noticed the rushing footsteps, and only looked up when the door slid open. "I heard what happened, is Shizu alri-..."

Mismatched eyes met mismatched eyes, red and green with black and grey rinnegan. "Dad, it's not what it looks like..."

What else it could it be? Shizu, his first born son, was looming over Hajime, Naruto's second son, who had fainted. Not to mention Shizu was shirtless and had the blanket covering his lower half...

A second later, Sasuke dissolved into nothing, teleporting away.

Shizu silently cursed, putting Hajime into the futon and standing to use the bathroom, splashing his face with cold water and attempting to do a mental damage report as he found a damn shirt to put on. Could he erase Hajime's memories somehow? He could deal with his family talking endlessly about him and Hajime, but the thought of Hajime himself knowing and rejecting his feelings, or even hating him for them, or...

His chest squeezed tightly, rubbing his face and trying desperately to not think about it. He went into the kitchen, his stomach achingly hungry. He found that Hajime had in fact cooked some of his favorites...

He sat down, and savored every bite, thinking maybe he'd never eat Hajime's cooking again.

His throat tightened slightly when he heard the sound of gentle feet on hardwood, setting down the bowl of udon in his hands as he felt the blondes presence come closer.

"I understand if you hate me..." He began carefully, hand tightening into a fist on his knee.

Hajime stepped closer, holding his forehead to Shizu's broad back. "...I don't hate you. I could never hate you, you're...you're my best friend, Shizu..." He gripped the material of Shizu's cotton shirt slightly. "But I...I don't want to just forget this ever happened."

The pink haired man's heart nearly stuttered to a stop. He didn't...? "What...what do you propose then?" He could nearly feel the heat radiating off Hajime's face as he buried it deeper into his back. 

"Don't...make me say it..."

"Would you...want to go out with me?" Asked Shizu, the stress in his chest loosening slightly.

There was a moment of nonresponse, before the Uzumaki nodded slightly.

Shizu spun around on the barstool, startling Hajime for a second before pulling him into a tight hug with a manic grin on his face.

They did end up going to dinner with Shizu's family that evening, not saying anything about their newly made status because Sasuke had apparently ran to tell Sakura at the hospital, and they had a minor freak-out celebration in her office, happy that their damn son finally made a move (especially since Sasuke had been subject to Shizu's constant 'Hajime-kun would like this' 'I wonder what Hajime-kun is doing right now' and much more when he and his twin children were training to master their mangekyo), even going to tell Naruto in their united ecstacy, who told his family and then Bolt told Sarada then she told-

Yeah. Within twenty minutes of Sasuke finding them, the entire family knew, even if they sat with Shina between them and even if they acted like nothing was different.

The two men parted ways from the Uchiha's, since Shizu would be walking Hajime home.

"Really? You buy them especially for me?"

"Well, you always make that face when you have them, I figured you really like Jelly doughnuts."

"You buy a whole extra box of just jelly doughnuts for me? I thought something was up when I kept getting them! I thought I was just lucky."

"Well, you are aren't you? You have me, doesn't that count as lucky?"

"Uchiha Shizu-kun, master of modesty!" Hajime laughed, shouldering his best...his boyfriend slightly. God, that was going to take some getting used to.

Shizu laughed slightly, a smile on his face as they approched the Uzumaki residence. Lady Hinata had a 'thing' against allowing her children to live on their own before they were engaged or married (apparently a side effect of being raised in a clan, even Sasuke hadn't allowed Shizu or Shina to move out), so Hajime still lived at home despite being an adult himself.

He could sense the Uzumaki's inside, and instantly felt a little self conscious as Hajime turned to face him, his back to his home. "I...it was fun, Shizu-kun..." He began, threading his fingers together anxiously. Even he could feel the intense stares of his parents and siblings inside, coincidentally visiting the same night Hajime aquired a boyfriend. "I...I'll see you tomorrow."

 _'Kiss him! Kiss hi~im!!'_ A small voice in the back of Shizu's mind thought.  _'No, not in front of his family!'_ Another part argued. _'Well you gotta do something!!'_

It seemed obvious that Hajime was thinking along the same lines, as he took one hesitant step closer. 

Shizu reached up with one hand, poking his forehead with two fingers before he could get any closer. "Yeah, of course. See you tomorrow. Goodnight."

Hajime blinked, slightly confused about the poke, rubbing his forehead as Shizu turned around and began his walk home. What was that about...?

He walked into his home, not even having time to take off his shoes before he was doggy piled by his family, Bolt being especially excited about his receiving the 'Honorary Uchiha Poke', as he and Dad put it.

After an explanation from Bolt, who was married to Sarada Uchiha, Hajime understood.

Uchiha's never publicly announced affection, not even Sarada who'd been mostly raised by her mother. That little poke was a silent way os saying 'I love you', it was a kiss-replacement for uncomfortable settings.

The next day, he waited at the gates, doing his usual morning chores when Shizu came around again.

This time, he offered an individually packaged jelly doughnut and a warm cup of tea, after chatting for a bit and making arrangements to see a movie that night (just them, no family), Hajime waited with bated breath...

Shizu poked his forehead. "Tonight, I'll come pick you up." He promised, his voice a tad quieter, affection evident.

Hajime nodded with a shy smile. "That sounds great."

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


End file.
